Sharp

I shouldn't be out here. Not at this time. Not in this place. Not with this stupid outfit on. If it wasn't for Diana and her damn drunk self, I wouldn't be walking home.

My heart and body jumped at the noise from the misleading bushes beside the sidewalk. A cat sped out and ran across the deserted street, climbing the tree with such agility and grace. I had a cat of my own until someone ran her over years ago. My dad won't let me get another one, which is really just discouraging.

I calmed down and continued my journey. At the end of Cranberry Street, there is Maple Grove that I'll turn left on. Past McDonald's is a street called Holt that I'll walk through to finally get to Westley Drive. It's a long walk.

Something rubbed against my leg and I shrieked a little. It was the same black cat that startled me before. It was purring and looking up at me with a slight wave of its tail.

"Do you need some love?" I asked it. It started to walk in circles around my leg, purring very loudly. I sat down on my knees, and the cat put its paws on my thighs, straightening up to look at me in the eyes with its tail swaying and the constant purring. Those blue eyes were magnifying. I have never seen this bright blue in any feline's eyes. It was gorgeous.

"I'm going to take that as a yes." I started to stroke the cat who closed its eyes and actually looked like it was smiling.

"You are so freaking adorable. Do you have an owner?" I didn't care if it did or not: this cat is seriously begging to be napped. "Your owner might actually be abusive though, which in that case, it is in my moral obligation to steal you. You love me too, right?"

The cat quickly scanned the surrounding area, stopped the purring and light tail wagging. I looked around for a squirrel or something, but all I saw was two approaching dark figures coming.

Shit. This is the kind of situation I wanted to avoid. The cat leaped away and darted off. Well, fuck. I don't even have a feline friend to help me anymore.

I looked around for a place to hide. Bushes in someones front yard? Behind a huge pine tree? Perhaps I should just keep strutting a walk like I am so bad ass enough to walk alone in the dark. I don't think that will be too convincing in a Snow White costume.

So, I quickly stood up and sneaked to the closest bushes available, sitting with my back to the road. I was trying not to breathe all panicky like, and it seemed like the most difficult thing to do at this given moment.

"Did you see that? Something moved. Do you think it is Nathaniel?" said a still distant male voice. It surely solved the panic by replacing it with fear that froze me in spot.

"No. It can not be. He is usually waiting at the end of the street for us. It is something else." A pause. "It is a human."

"Are you sure?"

"Certain."

"Where is it?"

"Those bushes over there." I was holding my mouth shut to prevent any screaming or any other terrorized voice that could come out of my throat.

I waited. I couldn't hear a thing. I didn't see anything different in the scenery before me. It was eerie. I didn't like this.

A whoosh, a black curtain and a familiar scream consumed my consciousness. It's cold.